


Mates Rates

by greglet



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Miscommunication, implied spuhura, slight mckirk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 18:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8023804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greglet/pseuds/greglet
Summary: Jaylah loves Montgomery Scotty's mates - they are her new family, after all - but some misunderstanding of the English language causes a stir of embarrassment on a night out.





	Mates Rates

It was several months since Jaylah had begun her time at the Academy and, despite the ghastly red, she was doing well. She had taken time getting to grips with having to share her tools with others, even when she thought she had greater precedence over using them. She had also managed to put a cap on the need to scream at others when they frustrated her too much. Otherwise, she got on well with most people and when Montgomery Scotty turned up again, she was glad to see him. 

Scotty looked tired while Keenser looked the same as always. Tiredness was Scotty’s most prominent feature in their reunion while Jaylah showed off all the things she had been working on, but he was genuinely enthused for her nonetheless. He exclaimed excitedly at her phaser improvements, her photon torpedo work and her re-evaluation of the combustion engines. 

“The red suits ye, lassie.” Scotty appraised, meaning more than just in colour. 

“I prefer my own clothes, but they don’t like it when I wear them.” Jaylah said, her mouth down-turned in disgust at her superiors poor preferences. 

“I don’t suppose they would.” Scotty laughed - Jim might have been able to get Jaylah into the academy, but not even Captain Kirk could excuse someone out of uniform. “But, listen, lassie, some of the crew are going out tonight, y’know, to get all those edges off - you’ll be comin’, won’t ye?” 

“As long as no one expects me in uniform.” Jaylah nodded, accepting the offer. “It’ll be good to see your mates again, Montgomery Scotty.” 

“Aye, Jim’ll be there and probably McCoy, Chekov, too.” Scotty listed, shaking his hands to insinuate ‘give or taking’ a few others. 

“James Tee and his Bones McCoy?” 

“Yep, Spock’s on New Vulcan with Uhura, so they won’t be there, and Sulu is with his family.” Scotty shrugged and Jaylah accepted their excuses with another nod. Jaylah stepped around Keenser and grabbed a cloth off a ladder rung, wiping the oil and grime from her hands. 

“I will be there tonight, I look forward to getting my edges off.” Jaylah said with a smile, glad to see her friends again. Scotty didn’t stay long after that, talking about how long it will take him to get ready for their night out while Jaylah recalled his colourful shirt from James Tee’s surprise birthday party on Yorktown - something Scotty took slight offence to, but how could he blame her for not knowing true style? Her favourite colours were grey, light grey and dark grey. 

Once Jaylah left the engineering building for the night, she readied herself in something that wouldn’t be unfamiliar to her Enterprise friends and made her way to the bar Scotty had referred her to. She was on time - something she learned was respected - but not the first to arrive as she found all the people Scotty had mentioned sitting in a booth near the back. A cheer went up when they saw her walking towards them, one that put a beaming smile on her face. 

“James Tee!” Jaylah announced as Jim got up from the booth to give her a hug. “Is good to see you.”

“Miss Jaylah,” The doctor nodded as he got up to clap a welcoming hand to her shoulder, “You’re lookin’ well, I like to see that.” 

“I am well, Bones McCoy” Jaylah assured as her eyes turned to Chekov who was stepping out from behind the booth. 

“It’s good to see you!” Chekov’s accent was more comforting to her than the native speakers, something about the harsh vowels and soft consonants had her glad in the company. “Mister Scott missed you lots, not that he would admit it.” Chekov glanced mischievously at Scotty who was rolling his eyes and denying everything. 

“Are we getting drinks or what? Laddie, go get a round for once, eh? And none of that vodka, get whisky or beer.” Scotty recovered and sent Chekov off with a wave of his hand while he patted the space beside him for Jaylah to sit. “C’mere, lass, tell us wit ye’ve been doin’.” 

As Jaylah sat, the rest of the party did too, all edging back to their spots, leaving room for Chekov at the end of the curved bench. 

“I am first in my class for all of them but they will not let me graduate before I complete the projects, I find this unfair - I am better than the projects.” Scotty laughed before admitting he really did miss her honest take on things while Jim shrugged and said that they might let her graduate early, but she still has to finish the work. “Perhaps, but it does not mean I like it.” 

When Chekov returned with more drinks than the two anti-grav trays could handle, Scotty already had an arm around Jaylah’s shoulders, telling her of all the near-disasters the engineering bay had during the last months of their five year mission. 

“Ye’ll know by now, of course, that Jim cannae go anywhere without bringing about a near apocalypse - and we weren’t short of those after ye left, let me tell ye, lass.” 

The conversation lasted long into the night, Jaylah out drinking them all with her hyper filtering system that Scotty was so jealous of (“I could be doin’ wae one of those.”). It wasn't until Chekov made a twitch to leave following an early meeting about a few of his decisions during the red alerts on the Enterprise that Jaylah expressed her warmth to the party.

“Montgomery Scotty, it is good to see your mates again.” She smiled as Jim and bones nodded to her, raising their glasses. “You have been mates for a long time, yes?”

“Oh, aye, well, I met Jim about… oh, almost ten years now.” Scotty seemed surprised at his own calculation, squinting against the drunk maths in his head. “Is that right, Jim?” 

“Believe so, Scotty, out on that icy piece of shit Spock dumped me on.” Jim’s quick description had Jaylah’s brows knit in slight confusion before Scotty piped up again.

“That feels like a lifetime ago now, eh?” Scotty mused into the dregs of his whisky.

“So, if has been almost ten years, when will you reproduce?” Jaylah asked, her nonchalant tone catching the table off guard.

“Repro- what?” Scotty asked.

“Did she just say reproduce?” Jim reiterated.

“Yes, you are mates, you have said that very often, I do not understand when you are mates but have no offspring.” Jaylah blinked, her sunset eyes only conveying her interest - and then confusion as Bones started to laugh. 

“Oh, no, lassie, no, no - no, we’re not -”

“You called James Tee a “handsome bastard” when I met him, this was not words of affection?” Jaylah’s head tilted, still confused by Bones’ belly laugh a few spaces over and the quivering smirk on Jim’s lips. 

“Well, aye, but not like that - when I say ‘mates’ I mean… friends.” Scotty explained. He was used to spelling out his phrases and terms for people due to his accent - it might be the twenty third century but Scottish still wasn't easy for everyone to grasp. “Don't get me wrong, lass, I love Jimmy, but he's no mah… ‘mate’ for reproduction…” 

“I don't understand - mates has two meanings? How do you tell the difference?” 

“Well, context, but I suppose wi’ just the computers on the Franklin, and then… us being so pally, ye might’ve been mixed about, but no, lass, we’re just good friends.” Scotty explained with a kind smile while Jim and Bones attempted to stifle more laughter.

“You are not mates either, then?” Jaylah asked, turning to Jim and Bones, whose laughter broke off and a glance shot between them, silently arguing the technicalities of the word without making themselves redden too much. 

“Well, not in the _offspring_ sense, I mean, it’s possible we _could_ through medical interventions, but not y’know, ourselves… only with… interventions.” Jim trailed off, his eyes dipping to his empty glass as Bones eyes surveyed the ceiling and Chekov blushed fiercely between them, the second hand embarrassment getting too much for him.

“So, you are mates, but you cannot-” 

“Yeah, if you want to understand human biology, I can help you out.” Bones offered before Jaylah went on to embarrass anyone else any further. “It’s easier to get the basics than you think.”

“Thank you, Bones McCoy.” Jaylah nodded once, the finer points of social etiquette eluding her as she skipped onto something else. “Will you be at the academy for long?” 

“A few months, if not longer - She’ll be ready by the time you’ve graduated, most likely.” Scotty said, referring to the Enterprise. 

“Will I be with you when you leave?” Jaylah asked, her bright eyes surveying Scotty as he shrugged.  
“S’not up to me, lassie, depends on a lot of other ‘hings,” Namely, Captain’s discretion, but Jim would listen to Scotty’s view and preference - not that it was necessary here, really. Plus, grades come into it for the Enterprise, but since Jaylah was taking her classes by storm, there was nothing to worry about there. Regardless, Jaylah had found a family with the Enterprise crew and Scotty had a feeling that even if she wasn’t making mincemeat out her classmates, she would have a welcome spot on the Enterprise anyway.

The small crowd eventually started to peel away, leaving Jaylah, Scotty and Keenser in the booth discussing some of the improvements the Enterprise was in the running for. That conversation didn’t last much longer either and as Scotty and Keenser walked Jaylah back to her dorm, they hugged in goodbye.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, lass, I’m takin’ one of yer lectures.” He laughed, but he was touched at the warmth of her goodnight. 

“Then I will see you tomorrow, Montgomery Scotty.” She nodded, certain she would see him again soon. “And thank you for the drink, my edge is off.” The night was enjoyable and wet enough to give even Jaylah a small buzz as she readied for sleep. It had also given her a lot to think about in how she applied herself. Scotty said that if she was to be on the Enterprise when it was ready to leave again, it depended on things and Jaylah was determined to be on that ship when the time came. Montgomery Scotty, James Tee, his Bones McCoy, Pavel Chekov and the others were her family now and she was sure that, like before, they wouldn’t leave her behind.

**Author's Note:**

> just something short and fun i had lying around my docs. i wrote this after i saw beyond the second time and then lost it amongst all my other things. how can i lose an entire fic you ask? well, with the amazing filing system i have!!! (f1, f2, f3, f4 ...f 23, f28, f35, etc etc i should probably use better titles...)
> 
> anyways!!  
> short n sweet and implied mckirk, what more could you need?  
> also, jaylah forever  
> @simonpegg i love your ocs


End file.
